Microsoft's Bing AI is now officially supported on Google Chrome, expanding its reach beyond the Edge browser.
Google is facing a historic legal battle against the U.S. government in a generational antitrust case that questions the company's dominance in internet search and its contracts with device makers, including a lucrative deal with Apple.
Google maintains a dominant position in the global search engine market with a 90.7% market share, while its competitors like Bing and Yahoo lag far behind, according to data from Similarweb. However, Google is currently facing a civil antitrust lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department for alleged anticompetitive practices. Bing, despite its AI-powered version, has not made significant progress in challenging Google's dominance.
Google's antitrust trial against the Department of Justice centers around claims that Microsoft's search tool Bing failed due to lack of investment and innovation, rather than Google's anticompetitive behavior.
The Justice Department's antitrust trial against Google began with claims that the company pursued agreements to be the default search engine on mobile devices, while Google argued that its search engine's quality was the primary reason for such agreements.
Google allegedly paid billions of dollars to key companies to maintain its search engine as the default on computers and mobile devices, making it difficult for smaller rival DuckDuckGo to grow its market share, according to testimony by DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg at a trial investigating alleged antitrust violations by Google.
Apple's senior vice president of ML and AI strategy, John Giannandrea, testified in the Department of Justice antitrust suit against Google and highlighted a new feature in iOS 17 that allows users to choose two different default search engines for normal browsing and private browsing.
Apple senior vice president Eddy Cue is expected to testify in court that Apple chose Google as the default search engine on the iPhone because it was the best product and that Apple has revenue-sharing agreements with other search engines, shedding light on Google's licensing agreements and the accusation of monopolizing online search.
Microsoft executive testifies that Apple and other smartphone makers declined revenue sharing agreements with Bing, allowing Google to maintain its dominant position as the default search engine on those devices.
Microsoft considered selling its Bing search engine to Apple as a potential replacement for Google, but talks did not progress due to concerns over Bing's quality and Google's dominance in the search engine market.
Apple has the ability to create its own search engine, potentially rivaling the revenue from the Apple Watch market, due to its existing search engine capabilities in services such as the App Store, Maps, Apple TV, and News.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testified in the U.S. antitrust fight between the Justice Department and Google, dismissing the idea that it is easy to change defaults on devices and revealing that Microsoft had sought to make Bing the default search engine on Apple smartphones but was rejected.
Apple has the potential to compete with Google in building a search engine, as it has a strong search team and has developed a next-generation search engine called "Pegasus," but currently, Apple benefits from the $15 billion annual payment it receives from Google to keep Google Search as the default on Safari.
Apple has turned down opportunities to challenge Google's search engine dominance, including the chance to purchase Bing and make DuckDuckGo the default for Safari's private browsing mode, according to court transcripts unsealed in the US government's antitrust lawsuit against Google.
Apple executive John Giannandrea dismissed the idea of making DuckDuckGo the default search engine in Safari's private browsing mode due to concerns about its privacy claims and reliance on Bing, according to unsealed transcripts from the US antitrust trial over Google search.
The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating Amazon and Google for alleged monopolistic practices, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella testifying against Google's attempts to monopolize the search market by paying to make its search engine the default choice for Apple and Android.
Google's payment to Apple for maintaining its position as the default search engine on iOS devices is estimated to be between $18 billion and $20 billion per year, according to financial advisor Bernstein, with the deal accounting for 14-16% of Apple's annual operating profits; however, the ongoing antitrust trial against Google could put this agreement at risk.
The antitrust case against Google puts the annual payment it makes to Apple for being the default search engine at risk, which constitutes 14-16% of Apple's profits, but Bernstein analysts believe Apple has options to mitigate the potential impact, such as partnering with another search engine or launching its own.
Apple's long-standing and lucrative agreement with Google to have it as the default search engine on Safari across its products has prevented Apple from developing its own search product and solidifies Google's dominance in the search industry, according to evidence presented in the US v. Google antitrust trial.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai expressed concerns about the optics of Google's deal with Apple, which made Google the pre-selected search option on Apple's Safari browser, according to emails introduced as evidence in the Justice Department's antitrust case against Google.
Google pays Apple between $18 and $20 billion per year to be the default search engine on iPhones, representing roughly 15% of Apple's annual operating profits, and there is a possibility that federal courts could force Google to terminate its search deal with Apple as part of the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google.
Google could be paying Apple between $18 billion to $20 billion a year to maintain its status as the dominant search engine on the iPhone, potentially generating 14-16% of Apple's annual operating profits, but this agreement may be at risk due to an ongoing antitrust suit.
Microsoft emerged as the winner in the AI battle with Google, as it reported better-than-expected growth in its Azure business, while Google's cloud business fell short of expectations despite heavy investment in AI, leading to a 4% increase in Microsoft shares and an 8% decrease in Google shares.
Google has been concerned about Apple's potential expansion into internet search, and has been working on strategies to prevent it, including developing its own version of Apple's search tool and leveraging a European law to undermine Apple's control over the iPhone.
Google reportedly paid Apple approximately $18 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine on Apple devices, a deal that not only grants prime placement to Google but also prevents Apple from developing its own search engine.
Google executives explored using EU law to undermine Apple's power and reduce the payment they make to Apple to maintain their default search engine status on Apple devices, as part of an antitrust case brought against Google by the Department of Justice.
Google spent $26.3 billion in 2021 to secure default search engine status across multiple browsers, phones, and platforms, revealing the significant power of defaults in the US v. Google antitrust trial.
Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to maintain its default search engine status and acquire traffic, with a significant portion going to Apple, according to testimony by Google's Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan in the ongoing antitrust suit.
Google paid $26.3 billion in 2021 to be the default search engine across various platforms and devices, revealing the importance of default settings for the company.
